Photo: US 13 on the southbound portion of the new Suffolk Bypass freeway (photo by Adam Froehlig 3/19/03)

From: North Carolina State Line below Whaleyville (City of Suffolk)To:
Maryland State Line above New Church (Accomac County) Total Length: 138.95 miles
Nationally, US 13 runs from I-95/295 Eastover, NC to US 1 Morristown, PA

Creation: Appeared in late 1926 as an original US Highway, running from Cape Charles to Maryland as an addition to VA 34.
It is unclear where US 13's south end was initially, although I
surmise it was the ferry landing to Norfolk. The first map I have to
sorta definitively show it is the 1935 Northampton County map which
shows the south end looking to be at the west end of Mason Ave.
Adjustments: In April 1928 (CTB), VA 34 (and therefore US
13) was officially designated to follow today's US 13/13 Bus from
Sunnyside to Exmore instead of the original routing using today's SR
618, SR 622 to Bridgertown, SR 619, then SR 618 to Franktown and
Exmore. In 1930, VA 34 was rerouted to avoid Belle Haven by replacing VA 526 from Exmore to Belle Haven Station. The old route via Belle Haven became parts of VA 522 and a second VA 526 (now VA 178 and VA 181).
In July 1933, VA 34 was dropped from US 13.

US 13 initial routing
1926 Official

In Sept 1934 (CTB), US 13 was extended north along Bayview Ave in
Cape Charles, then curled around to end at the dock. unfortunately,
1936 was the first year the county map had a Cape Charles inset.

US 13 ending at end of Mason
1935 Northampton County

US 13 extended around on Bayview Ave
1936 Northampton County

Around 1943, US 13 was continued across the Cape Charles ferry to Little Creek, then replaced VA 13
down Diamond Springs Road, Waterworks Rd, Princess Anne Rd, and
Military Hwy around the Tidewater area to end at US 58 (now VA 191)
Bowers Hill.

VA 13 in Tidewater area.
1941-42 Official

US 13 extended to Bowers Hill
1944 Official

In Sept 1945, the Interregional System of Highways was distributed
to the CTB. They approved all the routes therein for Virginia (except
wanted to change US 211 as a corridor to VA 55), plus added 2 more
corridors. One was US 13 from Cape Charles to Maryland, "provided the
Public Roads approves the addition within Delaware and Maryland." The
next mention of the Interregional System of Highways occurs in the
April 1958 CTB, which summarizes what happened in 1945 and notes that
the Bureau of Public Roads only accepted one of the 2 additional
corridors, US 301 from NC to Petersburg.

Sometime in 1950 (per April 1951 CTB), US 13 was rerouted from Cape
Charles to the Kiptopeke Ferry location. Some of this was a replacement
of VA 186. The road to Cape Charles became US 13 ALT (now VA 184). See scan under US 13 ALT entry.
In Oct 1950 (CTB), US 13 was removed from Waterworks Rd and Princess Anne Rd, leaving behind VA 165Y (east of I-64 is physically gone) and VA 165. US 13 was instead placed on Northampton Blvd in this area.
About 1952, US 13 was extended along US 58-460 to Magnolia, VA 337
into central Suffolk, then after a brief VA 32 duplex south, replaced VA 37 through Whaleyville and into North Carolina.
In Oct 1957 (CTB), US 13 was placed on Hall Ave between Saratoga Ave and Washington St in Suffolk, leaving behind VA 337.
In May 1960, the CTB requested an interstate corridor on the
Eastern Shore. it is unclear what happened to this other than it didn't
happen.

US 13 using Hall Ave and Washington Ave
1958 Nanesmond County

In Feb 1964 (CTB), US 13 was moved from Diamond Springs Rd to
Northampton Blvd and over the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel as a
route swap with VA 166. In Northampton County, US 13 was removed from Kiptopeke, leaving behind SR 704 which is still 4-lane concrete.

US 13 using Waterworks Rd
1944 Official

US 13 using Northampton and Diamond Springs
1956 Official

US 13 using Northampton only
1965 Official

In Oct 1966 (CTB), US 13 received bypasses of Cheriton/Bayview,
Eastville, Exmore, and Onley/Tasley/Accomac C.H. All old routings
became US 13 Business segments. See scans in the US 13 Business
listings.
In Aug 1970 (CTB), US 13 was placed on I-64 from Bowers Hill to Northampton Blvd, leaving behind US 13 Business.
In June 1974 (CTB), US 13 was removed from Hall Ave and VA 337 and
instead began using today's US 13 Business through Suffolk. Oddly,
officials from 1975-80 show US 13 on its old routing, when they never
showed it when it was actually happening.
Around 1980, US 13 was returned to Military Hwy and Northampton
Blvd, replacing US 13 Business. See scans in the US 13 Business
listings.
On March 19, 2003, US 13 was rerouted to go around the west side
of Suffolk as new constructed freeway, although posting of the original
Suffolk Bypass with US 13 shields took a couple months longer. See
scans in the US 13 Business listings.
In 2006, the General Assembly directed DOT to study the idea of an I-99 to run up the Eastern Shore. Go to the I-99 page for details.
Improvements: Upon designation in 1926, US 13 was paved from Cape Charles to Sunny Side; Keller to Rue; Oak Hall to Maryland.
In 1928, US 13 was paved from Rue to oak Hall
In 1929, the rest of US 13 was paved
The First segment of US 13 to be multilaned was when it was added to Military Hwy around 1943.
In 1949, US 13 was multilaned from Accomac C.H. to VA 176 and from VA 175 to Maryland.
In 1951, US 13 was multilaned on its Northampton Blvd and diamond Springs Rd routings; also from Temperanceville to Oak Hall.
In 1952, US 13 was multilaned when it was added to US 58-460 from Bowers Hill to Magnolia.
In 1953, US 13 was multilaned from VA 176 to Mappsville.
In 1954, US 13 was multilaned from Mappsville to Temperanceville; erroneously shown as widened from onley to Tasley
In 1958, US 13 was multilaned from SR 683 to the Kiptopeke Ferry Landing
In 1959, US 13 was multilaned from SR 683 to SR 684.
In 1964, US 13 was multialned from old US 13 (now SR 704) south to
the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel; also US 13 was multilaned when moved
to its all-Northampton Blvd routing.
The 1965 and 1966 Officials show US 13 widened from SR 684 to
north of Eastville, although no bypasses are shown. This may be a
premature showing on the map or US 13 was widened between bypass
segments.
In 1967, US 13 was multilaned on its bypasses of Cheriton, Eastville, Exmore and Onley/Tasley/Accomac
In 1969, US 13 was multilaned from Eastville to Exmore; Exmore to Onley
In 1974, US 13 was 4-laned from Magnolia to Suffolk when it was removed from VA 337 and Hall Avenue.
In 1976, US 13 was widened from Suffolk south to the VA 32 split.
In 1999, US 13 was multilaned on the bridge segments of the Chesapeake bay Bridge-Tunnel.
In 2003, US 13 was multilaned around Suffolk when rerouted onto its Suffolk Bypass (full freeway).
US 13 is 6-lanes from US 60 to VA 166; I-64 to Military Hwy; Indian
River Rd to Auburn Dr; Allison Dr to VA 168; Bowers Hill to Suffolk
Bypass US 13 is 8-lanes from Diamond Springs Rd to I-64; Lowery Rd to US 58; I-264 to Indian River Rd.
US 13 is 10-lanes from US 58 to I-264.The remaining 2-lane segments are: NC to VA 32; Chesapeake Bay Tunnels
Posted: Fully posted; mainline US 13 cutouts on the
Eastern Shore gradually disappeared during the 2000s, the last known
cutout at SR 642 below Cheriton still remained in April 2007 but was
gone by 2013.
A series of "TO US 13" trailblazers exists on westbound VA 166 in
Norfolk, including one just west of the US 13/VA 165/VA 166
intersection.Multiplexes: VA 32 (4.44 mi)
US 58, VA 32 (1.88 mi)
US 58, US 460, VA 32 (0.93 mi)
US 58, US 460 (10.04 mi)
US 460, VA 191 (0.18 mi)
US 460 (7.47 mi)
VA 165, VA 166 (0.10 mi)
VA 166 (1.93 mi)
VA 180 (0.46 mi)
Legislative names: Ocean Highway, US 17 to Maryland
Line except Business segments(since 3/23/46); Charles M. Lankford Jr
memorial Highway, Northampton/Accomack Counties (since 1978) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial Bridge, Lake Kilby (designation 12/18/01); Other names:
Whaleyville Blvd/Carolina Rd (S Suffolk); Military hwy (E
Suffolk/Chesapeake/Norfolk); Northampton Blvd (Norfolk/Va Beach).
Scenic Byway: None
Comments: US 13 now (since mid-2004) has mile markers from
the north end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (MM 70) to the
Maryland State Line (MM 138).
Westbound along VA 166/Princess Anne Rd has TO US 13 trailblazers.
This may not seem like much, except that it's moving away from US 13 at
the Princess Anne Rd/Northampton Blvd/Military Hwy intersection (where
US 13 meets with VA 166). Turns out they direct you to turn left on
Azalea Garden Rd to reach US 58 where one can jog east back to US 13. I
guess people didn't notice Military Hwy when coming down Northampton
Blvd.
L. Corsaro and E. Smith have a US 13 expressway siteFroggie has a photo journey of the Suffolk Bypass of US 13 - here.
From Dave:

The main drag of the Delmarva Peninsula, which I became
familiar with as a child on my family's biannual trips to my great
aunt's home in Jarvisburg, NC. Highlights include: one of my favorite
town names - Mappsville, Owl Restaurant in Accomac, and, of course, the
famous Bridge-Tunnel.

Mike would like to add Formy's Restaurant (BBQ) in Painter.
Froggie's usual stop is at the Great Machipongo Clam Shack just north
of Nassawaddox, well-known for fried seafood and soft-shell crab.

Creation: Appeared Oct 1966 (CTB) when US 13 was placed on a new bypass around the west side of Bayview and Cheriton. This is the 1st US 13 Business.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: Paved upon inception; no multilane segments.
Posted: Fully posted; cutouts were still present at SR 641 in April 2007.
Multiplexes: None
Legislative names: Ocean Hiway, entire route (since 3/23/46)
Other names: Bayside Dr
Scenic Byway: no segments
Comment: Bayside and Cheriton are extremely small towns.

Creation: Appeared Oct 1966 (CTB) when US 13 was placed on a new bypass around the east side of Eastville. This is the 2nd US 13 Business.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: Paved upon inception; no multilane segments.
Posted: Fully posted; cutouts were still present at SRs 634 and 631 in April 2007.
Multiplexes: None
Legislative names: Ocean Hiway, entire route (since 3/23/46)
Other names: Courthouse Rd
Scenic Byway: no segments
Comment: Eastville is also pretty small but is the county seat of Northampton County.

Creation: Appeared Oct 1966 (CTB) when US 13 was placed on a new bypass around the west side of Exmore. This is the 3rd US 13 Business.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: Paved upon inception; no multilane segments.
Posted: Fully posted, except at its northern end (US 13 Bus is posted to turn away from VA 178).Multiplexes: None
Legislative names: Ocean Hiway, entire route (since 3/23/46)
Other names: Main St/Lincoln Ave
Scenic Byway: no segments
Comment: Exmore is larger than Eastville or Cheriton.

Creation: Appeared March 2003 when US 13 was placed on a bypass around the north and southwest side of central Suffolk. This is the 6th US 13 Business.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: Paved and multilaned upon inception
Posted: Fully posted;
Multiplexes: VA 32 bus (2.05 mi)
VA 10, VA 32 Bus (0.68 mi)
US 58 Bus, US 460 Bus (3.70 mi)
Legislative names: None
Other names: Carolina Rd/Main St/Constance Rd/Portsmouth Blvd
Scenic Byway: no segments
Comment: US 13 Business has no solo segments to call its own.
Some Rand McN issues have shown VA 337 as US 13 Business from Sufflok to Magnolia.

US 13 Business #5: Appeared Aug 1970 (CTB), as a renumbering of
mainline US 13 through Chesapeake and Norfolk. US 13 Business followed
Military Hwy from I-64/US 13 Bowers Hill to Northampton Blvd, then east
over to I-64/US 13.
Around 1981, US 13 Business returned to being mainline US 13.
When I lived in Norfolk in 1991-93 there were still a few US 13 Business postings on the route.

US 13 Bus in Chesapeake
1971 Official

US 13 returned to Military Hwy
1981 Official

US 13 ALT not currently assigned

Previous US 13 ALT's:

US 13 ALT #1: Appeared in 1950 as a renumbering of mainline US
13 from Eastville to Cape Charles. After US 13 was routed to catch the
ferry to Norfolk further south, there was still a ferry from Cape
Charles to Old Point Comfort (Hampton). This ferry was gone by 1956,
though US 13 ALT was still there.
US 13 ALT was renumbered as VA 184 in May 1957 (CTB).
US 13 ALT #2: Appears in March 1958 CTB Minutes as a
proposal by City of Hampton and endorsed by a member of the CTB to
establish this to run from Old Point Comfort (via Ferry from Kiptopeke
- there were 2 ferries from Kiptopeke then) over US 258 to Benns
Church, then down VA 10 to meet US 13 again in Suffolk. Further study
determined that this designation was unwise due to a second toll at
James River Bridge and the route would be mostly 2-lane.